Ian Grimes with the ball he holed in one at Corowa Golf Club.
After 25 years, Rutherglen’s Ian Grimes achieved his first hole-in-one, at Corowa Golf Club earlier this month.
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Ian’s 7 iron, tee shot on the picturesque Par 3, 142m, 18th hole, with clubhouse in the background, soared over the greenside bunker in direct line with the hole.
“I hit a good shot off the tee and I knew it was going onto the green,” Ian said.
“But the sun got in my eyes. I saw it bounce on the green (about five or six metres from the flag) but that was it.
“When we got closer, I started walking to the back of the green believing the ball went through a bit. But (playing partner) Michael Knowles looked in the hole and there it was!”
Ian plays off a handicap of 11 and in addition to some other words, his first response was ‘you’re kidding’.
“I was ecstatic. I bought my playing partners a drink,” he said.
“My three playing partners have been playing for 40 years or more and have never had a hole-in-one, so I am lucky.”
Corowa Golf Club operations manager Nathan Thomas recalled the day of the hole-in-one.
Corowa Golf Club operations manager, Nathan Thomas says the course is looking the bes he’s ever seen it.
“He was happy alright,” Nathan said.
“Holes-in-one have been few and far between this year.
“Gary Tree had one on the same hole as Ian on May 3, with his 5 wood, but it’s been slim pickings.”
Sixty-five-year-old Ian took up golf at age 40, is a bed and breakfast business owner and loves golfing at Corowa and Rutherglen, which he does two or three times a week.
Corowa Golf Course has never looked better in the 10 years Nathan has been playing on the championship course.
“Coring and rebuilding of the first tee have the course looking the best I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Relocation of the first tee means the first hole, a Par 5, has increased from 505m to 523m.
For convenience of golfers, the chipping green has been replaced with a practice putting green, there’s also a practice green directly behind the first tee stand for players waiting to hit off, and there’s a chipping space near the practice putting green as well as on a few holes on the course.
“Xavier (Palamarczuk) and Andrew (Bath), and their crew have done a wonderful job in having the course look so good,” Nathan said.
“There’s been a lot of feedback from players about the quality of the course.”
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